The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-12-22
CHRIsTNIAS.

Next Sunday occurs the glad festival COM
memorating the time when
In the beauty ofle lilies Christ was born across the
sea,
Wi,ha glory IN His bosom that transfgures you and
When the Man came to the world whose
mission upon earth il was to drain the cup
OF death TO it's last bitter dregs that all man
kind might be saved through Him.
BY His suferings and death He taught
the God.lilse lesson OF sacrifice Of self, even
10 utter obliteration, that good may come 10
others
The sublime example set in the sacred
tragedy on Mount Calvary has, FOR more than
$500 years, filled the world with noble men
and women who gave cheerfully given life,
and all that life had to offer, that their fell
low-men and women might be made holier,
freer and happier. The light OF the glory of
God which has sh0ne from their lives and
deeds has illumined the four corners of the
earth during all these revolving centuries,
and fostered the growth of every virtue that
can adorn man, OF make life more gracious
and beautiful. Divine truth, pure light and
exalted love for ones fellow-men have fOw-
ed in radiant food from the Cross set up
on Calvary, TO bless and benefit the world
through all time.
1t is this that we are TO reflect upon and
rejoice over during the hallowed and gra-
cious time" as SHAKESPEARE terms it, upon
which we are now entering
While remembering the divine sacrifice OF
the Man Of Sorrows and the countless bless
ings which flowed from il and enyeloped
the world like the sunlight, let us remem.
Der also the seli-sacrifice of those who, in
humble imitation of Him, died to make
men free, even as He died to make men
holy-let MS remember those who gave ali
that men could give, not TO gain benefit
and blessings for themselves, but to gain
them for us and for all who may come
after us.
1t is as little return as we can make fol
all the blood and suffering of
-Four hundred thousand men.
The brave, the good. the true
Who died on battielilain and prison-pen Cor m'
and you;
Il a.. e. a
To couple their names in affection with Hin
who Taught them and ali men how TO die fo
the eternal right.
Nor should this stop with love and homo
for the dead. Let us love, honor and help
when help is necessary-the living, VIII,
fought and endured no less nobly than the,
who gave the last fall measure Of devotion
on the battlefield.
Wecan most Gttingly celebrate this Christ
mas tide by works of charity to our striellei
comrades
We can best honor Him who died for al
men by caring for those who have su1ere,
for mems sake, and for the widows AM
orphans Of those who died, even as lie died
No comrade should let the Christmas pas
without celebrating it by doing something
to help alleviate the troubles Of some Othe
cOmrade, or his widow and orphans. lie
everyone see that some one who is bound TO u
by ties Of common service for our countr,
and humanity is made happier or NOR
comfortable by his act Christmas Dime
viii taste all the sweeter from the knowl
edge that Christmas has been made brighte
to some veteran and his family by the gii
Of bountiful dinner OF some other comfor
for his home
We wish all our readers a Merry Christ
mas, with repetition Of the injunction tina
the best way TO make il merry is by an &C
of charity and fraternity to some comrade.